Spider control for folding table legs



April 26, 1955 H. J. SLQAN 2,707,139 SPIDER CONTROL FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS Filed Feb. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORI A/um/ /Qaw,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent This invention relates to a table and more especially to a table having a plurality of folding legs and means connecting all of said legs to permit all of said legs to be folded or unfolded at the same time and to hold all of the legs in the same relative position.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a table having folding legs, a spider member pivotally connected to the lower surface of the folding table and having a pluraltiy of links pivotally connected to the arms of the spider member, said links having their outer ends pivotally connected to the respective legs of the table and said legs being hinged whereby movement of one leg or movement of the spider member will cause the links to transmit like movement to all of said legs to position said legs in folded or unfolded position as desired.

Heretofore various types of mechanisms have been provided for moving all of the legs of a folding table and for holding them in position and it is therefore another object of this invention to provide an improved means for actuating the folding legs of a table which may be easily and economically constructed and has a minimum number of moving parts to minimize mechanical failure and to provide a mechanism which will operate in a trouble free manner for a long period.

It is still another object of this invention to provide, in an apparatus of the type described, a substantially U- shaped cuff member fixed on the outer end of each arm of the spider, whose flanges straddle and slidably engage portions of the upper and lower edges of each link, the links being pivotally supported between said flanges at their ends remote from the legs to thereby insure that the spider, which is mounted for axial movement on its pivotal connection to the table, moves axially to maintain the links in parallel relation to the table and the spider as the legs are folded or unfolded.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view looking up at the bottom of a folding table embodying my improved means for folding and unfolding the legs thereof;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the table embodying my improvement;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Figure 1, and showing the manner in which one of the legs is hinged to a bracket secured to the table;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view looking at the right-hand side of Figure 3 and further illustrating the manner in which the leg is secured to the table;

Figure 5 is a plan view looking at the bottom of the table and showing the legs in folded position;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in Figure 5;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken along the line 88 in Figure 7 and showing the manner in which the links are secured to the spider.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 broadly designates a table which is shown as being substantially square in plan but which may be of any desired shape and which has a table top 11 and a continuous flange secured to the lower surface of the table top 11 and comprising side frame members 12, 13, 14 and 15 having their proximate ends secured to 2,707,139 Patented Apr. 26, 1955 each other. A plurality of legs 17, 18, 19 and 20 have their upper ends hingedly secured at the juncture of the frame members 11 to 15, inclusive, or at the respective corners of the table. One or more suitable transverse members or brace members 21 are provided extending between the flange members to lend rigidity to the table top.

Each of the legs 17 to 20, inclusive, is pivotally secured to the table by conventional or other means and is shown as being hingedly mounted in a bracket 25 secured to the inner surface of the corresponding frame members. The brackets 25 are identical and will bear the same reference characters and only one will be described.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, it will be observed that each of the brackets 25 is substantially U-shaped in plan and has a tab 26 projecting outwardly therefrom which is secured to the corresponding frame members, such as the frame member 12 .in Figure 3, by any suitable means such as a screw 27. The bracket 25 has outwardly extending arms 30 and 31. If desired, the arms 30 and 31 may be cut away at 32, the tab 26 being formed from the material removed from the opening 32. The base wall of the bracket 25 is provided with a horizontal flange 33 adapted to be secured to the lower surface of the frame member 12 of the table by any suitable means such as a screw 35. The arm portion 31 of the bracket 25 is provided with a horizontal flange 36 adapted to be secured to a corresponding frame member such as the frame member 15 by any suitable means such as a screw 37.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be observed that the outwardly extending arms 34) and 31 of the bracket 25 are spaced apart from each other a distance slightly greater than the width of the table leg disposed therebetween.

Each of the table legs is provided with a suitable casing 40 clampingly secured therearound and which is pivotally mounted within the respective bracket 25 as by a rivet 41 penetrating an ear portion 42 of the casing 40 and also penetrating the arm 3d of the bracket 25. A second rivet 45, or the like, penetrates an ear 43 on the casing 40 which is identical to the car 42, and which also penetrates the arm 31 of the bracket 25 to thus pivotally or hingedly secure the leg between the arms 30 and 31 of the bracket 25. It will be noted that the hinge point is spaced from the corner of the table so as to permit the upper end of the leg to move without being obstructed by the frame member of the table 10.

Secured to the car 43 of the casing 40, by the rivet 45, is a downwardly and outwardly curved leaf spring member 46 which loosely penetrates a projection 47 on the casing 40 and fits in a suitable notch 48 in a projection 50 extending from the arm 30 of the bracket 25. The leaf spring member 46 serves as a locking member and should be provided for only one of the legs 17, 18, 19 or 20. When said spring member 46 is in the position shown in Figure 3, it prevents the leg 20 from being moved in a counter-clockwise direction to folded position. The outer end of the member 46 may be raised upwardly to cause it to ride over the projection 50 to thus permit the leg 20 to be folded within the bracket 25.

The means for pivotally securing the leg to the table heretofore described are shown for purposes of illustration only and any suitable means may be used and if desired, only one of said legs need have a locking member, such as the locking member 46, due to the fact that a structure made according to this device will hold all of the folding legs in the same relative position to each other and if one of said legs is locked all of the others of said legs will be held in locked position.

Means are provided for simultaneously moving all of the legs 17 to 20, inclusive, into folded or unfolded position and for holding said legs in the proper position. Said means comprises a spider member broadly designated at which includes a pair of transverse members and 61 fixedly secured to each other intermediate their ends and extending transversely of each other.

In order to lend rigidity to the spider 55, it has been found desirable to secure a circular member 56 to each of the transverse members 60 and 61 adjacent the ends thereof, said circular member being made from any suitable material such as strap iron. However, it is to be understood that the circular member or ring 56 is not essential to a satisfactory operation of the invention, but is merely a refinement since the spider 55 is the structure which actually imparts simultaneous movement to the legs 17, 18, 19, and 20.

A plurality of U-shaped brackets or cuff members 57 corresponding in number to the number of legs of said table are suitably secured to the ends of arms 60 and 61 (Figures 7 and 8) or to the ring 56 (Figure as desired. The transverse members 60 and 61 have flanges 62 at their opposed ends which are secured to the inner surfaces of the respective U-shaped cuff members 57 in any suitable manner as by welding.

A pivot pin or bolt 63 has one end thereof secured in the transverse bracing member 21 of the table 10 and the bolt 63 extends downwardly from the bracing member 21 and has a washer 65 disposed thereabout and penetrates suitable bores in the transverse members 60 and 61 at their junction point. The bolt 63 extends downwardly a substantial distance and is provided with a suitable nut 66 on the lower outer end thereof. The bores in the transverse members 60 and 61 which are penetrated by the bolt 63 are slightly larger than the bolt 63 to permit the transverse members 60 and 61 to have vertical sliding movement on the bolt 63 in a manner to be described.

Each of the U-shaped cuff members 57 extends beyond the outer periphery of the ring 56 and is slidably penetrated adjacent one side edge thereof by a bolt 70 secured in position by a nut 71, said bolt 70 also slidably penetrating a circular portion 74 of a link member 72, a portion of which slidably engages the flanges of the corresponding U-shaped cuff member 57. Each link 72 has an arcuate portion 73 on the end thereof remote from the bolt 70 which is pivotally connected to the corresponding table leg, as by a screw 75 and a Washer 76 disposed between the arcuate portion 73 and the corresponding table leg. Each of the cuff members 57, and the links 72 are constructed in an identical manner and are secured to the respective legs in an identical manner, and a further description of the same is believed to be unnecessary. The links 72 and the cuff members 57 may also be made of strap iron for simplified and economical construction, or may be made of any other suitable material.

It is thus seen that, when the table is in unfolded position as shown in Figure l, and it is desired to move the legs of the table to parallel relation with the table top 11 or to folded position, an operator may grasp one of the legs of the table, such as the leg 20, and move the leaf spring locking member 46 upwardly to where it will ride over the projection 50 of the bracket 25 and then move the leg toward the table top 11, about the pivot points 42 and 45, and the link 72 pivotally connected to the leg 20 will move in a clockwise direction about the screw 75 and the other end of the link 72 will be urged against the bolt 70 penetrating the cuff members 57 to thus urge the cuff members in a counter-clockwise direction with the spider 55.

The corresponding cuff member 57, being attached to one end of the transverse member 61 or to the ring 56, will cause the transverse member 61 to move in a counter clockwise direction in Figure 5 and will cause the other end of the transverse member 61 to move the cuff member 57 secured thereon thus moving the corresponding link 72 and the leg 18. The transverse members 60 and 61 being secured to each other at their junction point, this movement of the leg 20 in the manner just described will cause movement of the transverse member 60 also, which will move the cuff members 57 at the opposite ends thereof to thus move the legs 17 and 19.

Continuing movement of the leg 20 to the position shown in Figure 5 will cause all of the other legs to be moved to folded position, the spider 55 controlling relative movement of all of the legs. The normal friction between the moving parts will offer sufficient resistance to prevent the legs from falling into unifolded position unless pressure is exerted thereon by an operator. Suitable means may be provided, however, in hinges or other points for locking the legs 17, 18, 19 and 20 in folded position, if desired.

It will be observed that the arcuate portions 73 of the links 72 are pivotally connected to the respective table legs at positions spaced below the table top and a substantial portion of each link 72 is confined between the flanges of the associated U-shaped member 57 to insure that the spider 55 moves axially in unison with the legs 17, 18, 19 and 20. Consequently, as the legs are moved from folded to unfolded position, the transverse members 60 and 61 will move from a position adjacent the washer 65 (Figures 1 and 7) to a position adjacent the nut 66 on the bolt 63.

It is thus seen that I have provided an improved means of controlling the relative movement of folding legs of a table comprising a spider member with links pivotally connected to the opposite ends thereof, said links being connected at their other ends to the folding legs of the table whereby movement of one leg accurately and positively controls relative movement of the other legs of the table as all of the legs are simultaneously folded or unfolded.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. in a table having a top and a plurality of folding legs and means for locking said folding legs in unfolded position, improved means connecting all of said legs for controlling the movement of said legs comprising a pair of transverse members extending in substantially right angular relation to each other and secured together at their juncture, a pivot pin fixed to the center lower portion of said table top and depending therefrom, said transverse members being loosely penetrated by said pivot pin at their juncture and confined for axial and rotatable movement thereon, a plurality of substantially U-shaped cuff members each having a web and a pair of flanges and being fixed at said web one to each end of each transverse member, a ring extending around the ends of said transverse members and between the flanges of said cuff members and fixed to said cuff members, said flanges extending beyond the outer surface of said ring, a plurality of links, each link having one end thereof pivotally mounted between the flanges of a corresponding cuff member adjacent the outer surface of said ring, and each of said links extending laterally from said cuff members and at a tangent from said ring and having its other end pivotally connected to one of said table legs, the pivotal connections of said links to said cuff members and said legs causing axial movement of said transverse members on said pivot pin upon rotational movement being imparted thereto.

2. In a table having a top and a plurality of folding legs and means for locking said folding legs in unfolded position, improved means connecting all of said legs for controlling the movement of said legs comprising a pair of transverse members extending in substantially right angular relation to each other and secured together at their juncture, a pivot pin fixed to the center lower portion of said table top and depending therefrom, said transverse members being loosely penetrated by said pivot pin at their juncture and confined for axial and rotatable movement thereon, a plurality of substantially U-shaped cuff members each having a web and a pair of flanges and being fixed at said web one to each end of each transverse member, a plurality of rigid links, each link having one end thereof pivotally mounted between the flanges of a corresponding cuff member, and each of said links extending laterally from said cuff members and having its other end pivotally connected to one of said table legs, the pivotal connections of said links to said cuff members and said legs causing axial movement of said transverse members on said pivot pin upon rotational movement being imparted thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,698,420 Willett Jan. 8, 1929 1,924,223 Weatherly 1. Aug. 29, 1933 1,963,612 Coffed June 19, 1934 2,045,467 Hiser June 23, 1936 2,067,775 Mavcs Jan. 12, 1937 2,184,500 Knowles Dec. 26, 1939 2,209,142 Sloan July 23, 1940 2,303,228 Overbey Nov. 24, 1942 2,478,502 Peterson Aug. 9, 1949 2,518,783 Hiser Aug. 15, 1950 

